Interior Designer
Profile
"More is more. Less is never more- less is obviously less. Who wants less?"
Elle Décor has called her “a fearless style monger known for her dizzying trove of antiques and signature line of furniture and lighting.” And Veranda reports that her designs “create a sense of drama without forsaking comfort.” In 2009, Michelle was listed as one of the five most influential Women in Design by Elle Décor.
Michelle spends her time traveling the world in search of the most beautiful and unusual find to fill her showroom Ceylon et Cie which is home to her design team. In between her travels and design jobs, Michelle is expanding her line of custom furniture Ceylon Portfolio and her new line of textiles and fabrics.
Michelle lives in her native Dallas, Texas with her husband and four children. She is currently working on design projects in San Miguel, London, Paris, Aspen, Dallas and India.
IN THE DETAILS: BEAUTIFUL FLOORS
DH SHOPPING WITH DELL MITCHELL
Top Ten
Classic color choice
Vermillion red, malachite green
Hotel that has inspired your work
Umaid Bhawan Palace, the Maharaja of Jodhpur's palace hotel. A 1940's raj extravangaza. This is just about my favorite place in the world. The Splendido Portofino, the name says it all!
Best technology to document design inspiration
My ipad or iphone.
Favorite place to spot new style
My travels. I just returned from Istanbul with a treasure trove of ideas.
Restaurant
The Olden, Gstaad. Le Bilboquet, New York. Jack's Burger House, Dallas.
Small museum
Cy Twombly Gallery at the Menil Collection in Houston. Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. Museo Sarolla in Madrid. Musée du quai Branly, Paris.
How you start your weekend
With a big sigh!
Biggest Design Influence
The beauty of nature and my travels, both near and far.
How to keep it all together
My amazing staff and a lot of multi tasking. Between my husband, my four children and my clients, it's best to write everything down. I'm still old school and prefer a pen and paper.
Garden: Groomed or freestyle?
I love gardening, it is one of my passions. In Dallas, my garden is quite uptight. In Mexico, more loose. I do have a fantastic corn maze though, and lots of cactus. There's no training those.